Spinal tap cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for spinal tap (lumbar puncture), diagnostic as an inpatient: from $172.04 to $983.40, with a median of $289.34. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner Clinic Foundation — $117.30 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $424.87 at 46 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 5 cities for code 62270, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DX | $172.04 | $782.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DX | $204.12 | $729.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DX | $289.34 | $782.00 | — | 63% | — source file |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC SPINAL PUNCTURE, LUMBAR, DX | $649.28 | $2,029.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 OP LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $983.40 | $1,639.00 | $922.76–$1,639.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 DX LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $983.40 | $1,639.00 | $922.76–$1,639.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 ED LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $983.40 | $1,639.00 | $922.76–$1,639.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 OB LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $983.40 | $1,639.00 | $922.76–$1,639.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 CT LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $983.40 | $1,639.00 | $922.76–$1,639.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 IR LUMBAR PUNCTURE DIAGNOSTIC | $983.40 | $1,639.00 | $922.76–$1,639.00 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $172.04, median $289.34, highest $983.40 — a 5.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $494.48 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A spinal tap removes a small amount of spinal fluid from the lower back with a needle. It is used for meningitis, bleeding and some neurological diseases.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure. The lab tests on the fluid are billed separately.